Review: Marware Sport Grip

by Doug Morse

My iPhone came well in advance of the computer. So for nearly ten days, I had an attractive looking paperweight. Meanwhile, a box full of accessories went to a different address -- I was on vacation you see -- so I couldn’t do much except stare at the iPhone box. Finally, I figured I would activate the iPhone on a different computer – though there is a danger to this madness. When I finally synched it to my home computer, I'd essentially be 'wiping' the iPhone and starting anew. Still, I had a working iPhone for a couple of days before the device and accessories were united.

Like a giddy young girl headed to the prom, my iPhone looked at the box of accessories. Cases, screen protectors, sync and charge cables, even a fancy Motorola Bluetooth headset were ready to take her out. The question of course: what to wear. Well, the one screen protector was a no-brainer. No one wants to get damaged on a night out. The sync and charge cable was a simple retracting affair. No, it was the cases that posed the most difficulty. There were three soft rubberized cases in pink, brown (yuck), and blue. Two semi hard cases, and a Tough Skin Sport by Speck. And the prettiest of the lot was an executive deep red leather case. For whatever reason, I was attracted to the light blue bad-boy-sounding Marware Sport Grip (store link, $14.95).

One thing that was good about the delay in accessories is that I got to experience the iPhone ‘naked’ for a couple of days. The Marware Sport Grip certainly decreases the likelihood of slips and drops. The Sport Grip is a simple skin case that stretches over the surface of the iPhone. In terms of ‘grippiness’ it is a semi-smooth silicone with ridges on the side that comfortably add a bit of extra grip to your fingers and palm. It squeezes ever so slightly; the material is less slippy than the device au natural, and the ridges help too.

The cutouts for the speaker, bottom connector, headset jack, ringer switch, and camera are perfectly aligned. There is an extra horizontal cutout above the speaker I assume for some the proximity sensor. The home button, volume rocker, and power switch are covered by the silicone, and are recessed and ridged appropriately to perfectly mesh with those features.

The only downside to using a case is that the iPhone no longer fits into the cradle. I suppose you could roll up the bottom of the Sport Grip to expose the connector, but it’s easier to simply use the cable.

Still, after a couple of weeks of using the Marware Sport Grip, I was impressed. It’s one of those items that’s simple, clean, and effective. I really liked the perfect contoured covering of the switches and the accurate cut-outs for the rest of the iPhone features. With this case, I tended to carry it in a waist pouch (with a soft interior designed for iPods and the like). My preference is for a case with a bit more to it – especially something to cover the screen. Though if something simple that works is what you’re after, then the Marware is highly recommended. The case comes in Blue, Black, Pink, and Clear and the case also includes a microfiber cleaning cloth and a screen protector. At $14.95, this is an excellent buy. And since this review is done, I’m going to try out the more attractive red leather offering.

p> Overall 4/5

Pros